PROPOSALS for some of the biggest changes to the town's policing in decades have been drawn up, the Star understands.

The vision, part of a major reorganisation of policing across Merseyside to tackle severe budget shortfalls, could be announced over the next few weeks.

Among the most controversial suggestions on the table are partially locating St Helens response officers from Kirkby, Knowsley rather than St Helens.

The Star has learned Chief Superintendent Louise Harrison from Merseyside Police, who is the area commander for St Helens, held a private briefing session with St Helens councillors earlier this month.

Sources say forthcoming force-wide changes, which will affect the town, were outlined during the briefing and add that the plans could include the potential relocation of some police response to Knowsley.

This proposal led to some concerns among politicians, who have been asked to stay tight-lipped over the briefing, around potential police response times to incidents in town, should the plans come to fruition.

St Helens does not suffer the high rates of gun and gang crime that are afflicting parts of but councillors are concerned by high levels of domestic violence in St Helens and fear the impact of stretched resources that are spread too wide geographically.

The reorganisation would come as part of the drive to cut policing costs to meet central government-set budgets, and would also see a modernisation of the force.

It is thought the changes would support a move towards a 'functional model' of policing, with functions, such as response, being centralised and that police would make more use of digital communications, for example using tablets to log and make updates on jobs.

Sources said they believed an announcement from police is "imminent".

A spokesman from the Merseyside Police Crime Commissioner's office confirmed there is a move towards a functional model and a Merseyside Police spokesperson said they could not comment on whether changes were due to be announced.